Loch Arkaig Corbetts

In the Great Glen, Gairlochy and its locks on the Caledonian Canal sit a couple of miles west of the Commando Memorial above Spean Bridge.

From Gairlochy the narrow B8005 heads up to Loch Lochy's southern tip then turns westwards. From here on a very narrow and unclassified road a 12 mile drive travels through the mossy Mile Dorcha then hugs the northern shores of Loch Arkaig to its western end.

The road ends by a gate across the access to an estate track, just before which is a large parking area with designated bays for around 15 vehicles. If the car-park is full, there are various verge side parking areas before reaching the car-park, but care should be taken not to block passing places.

Leave the car-park, head around the gate and begin hiking up the estate track. After just under 1km, the track comes to a junction 1 by a few right-of-way signs - keep right as the track climbs uphill for a few metres.

The track drops down to the River Dessarry where the twin summits of Sgùrr Cos na Breachd-laoidh and Druim a' Chùirn overlooking Coire Chicheanais dominate the view ahead.

Continue hiking along the track for another 1km or so toward the estate house and outbuildings of Glendessarry 2. Just before reaching the buildings and after crossing a bridge over the Allt na Feithe, turn off the track and head uphill on a faint grassy track by a target practice area.

The track heads through a knackered old fence line then splits - take the left fork. A short distance further on, the track disappears into long grass - just continue over damp ground and cross the Allt Coire Chicheanais where suitable.

Now on the south-eastern shoulder of Sgùrr Cos na Breachd-laoidh, follow its crest as it rises continuously up to the Corbett's complex summit with puddles and fine views.

A cairn marking the highest point 3 sits by the corner of a wall that rises up from Sgùrr Cos na Breachd-laoidh's north-western shoulder - this shoulder connects to An Eag on the Sgùrr Nan Coireachan to Sgùrr Mòr ridge.

From Sgùrr Cos na Breachd-laoidh's summit cairn, follow the remains of the wall and iron fence-posts north-east along the hill's mainly grass-covered crest. Some height is lost and the low point between the summit and the eastern top, Druim a' Chùirn is reached, where what appears from below to be a volcanic plug, reveals its true origin - just shattered rock 4.

A hike up a gentle grassy crest leads to Druim a' Chùirn's top 5, where the wall turns north-east and is therefore left behind for a descent down Druim a' Chùirn's south-east shoulder. No path, but no difficulties ahead, just a drop of 450m to flat ground where the Allt and Feithe 6 is crossed.

Ahead Fraoch Bheinn rises steeply, its grass covered hillsides broken by lines of crags. Above the first line of crags 7, a grassy bank gently rises from right to left (south to north), aim for this and when reached, follow it up onto the crest of Fraoch Bheinn's southern shoulder. A faint path is picked up and followed northwards to the small cairn on the summit 8 - a fine viewpoint due to this hill's isolated position.

On Fraoch Bheinn's summit, about turn and retrace your steps back to where you arrived on the crest, then continue southwards dropping a bit more height until reaching fairly safe terrain above Coire na Cioche Bige 9.

Turn eastwards and begin to head down into Coire na Cioche Bige - there are some rocky ledges, but these are easily by-passed or gone around to reach the flat ground of Feith a' Bhrolaich 10.

Some soggy ground, then a couple of lines of ATV tracks are crossed before ground ahead begins to rise. A bit of a trudge of a hike up a grass covered slope for the next 1km leads up onto Sgùrr Mhùrlagain's wide south-western shoulder, where a faint path can be found to follow for another 1km to the hill's summit crest.

Sgùrr Mhùrlagain's top is a short distance eastwards following the rim of a coire and is marked by a small cairn 11.

Sgùrr Mhùrlagain can be descended from virtually any point aiming southwards, but if you're heading directly back to the car-park at the western end of Loch Arkaig, prepare for a slog !

Re-trace your steps back down the south-western shoulder of Sgùrr Mhùrlagain to where you came onto the crest, then continue for a further 2km south-west until a fence 12 is met. Cross the fence and aim due south down steeper terrain to meet with the road above Loch Arkaig to walk back along to the car-park.